Negative Cleaning and Dusting

Dust on negatives leaves enlarged white spots on prints because the dust enlarges at the same rate as the projected image. This can be especially serious with 35mm photography because of the high magnification required to go from a small negative to a large print. It is usually easier to ensure that the negative is clean before printing it than it is to spot the print later. Dust on negatives can be caused by several factors, including the general cleanliness of the darkroom, the protective measures that have been taken, and the storage of the negatives themselves.